TEXAS · welder
TxDOT Certified Steel Structures Welder
Texas Department of Transportation — Bridge DivisionScope of Certification
A welder must hold a TxDOT Certified Steel Structures Welder credential before performing field splices of beams and girders or other structural steel connections on Texas transportation structures. The certification is mandated by Texas Standard Specifications for Construction and Maintenance of Highways, Streets, and Bridges, Item 448, Article 448.4.2.2 ("Certified Steel Structures Welder"). Source: TxDOT Welder Certifications (https://www.txdot.gov/business/resources/highway/bridge/construction/welder-certifications.html); TxDOT Specification Item 448 (https://ftp.dot.state.tx.us/pub/txdot-info/cmd/cserve/specs/2014/standard/s448.pdf).
Not a General Welder License
Texas does not issue a generic state welder license. The TxDOT Certified Steel Structures Welder credential is project-class-specific: it qualifies the welder to perform AWS D1.5 Bridge Welding Code work on TxDOT-administered transportation projects only. Welders performing non-DOT welding work in Texas operate under AWS D1.1 / ASME Section IX qualifications administered by their employer or a project-specific testing facility.
Qualification Standard
Performance qualification under the AWS D1.5 Bridge Welding Code. The welder must demonstrate the welding processes, positions, and joint configurations called for by the Texas Steel Structures Bridge Welding requirements.
Testing Requirements
All welding performed for certification must be conducted in the presence of testing laboratory personnel. The testing laboratory must employ a Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) and an ASNT Level II Examiner. The welder bears all costs associated with testing required for certification. Test results are submitted to the TxDOT Bridge Division for review.
Military Crosswalk
TxDOT does not publish a separate military crosswalk for the Steel Structures Welder credential. Veterans with documented AWS D1.5 qualification through DoD welding programs should submit their qualification records to a TxDOT-recognized testing laboratory for crosswalk evaluation.
Exam
Performance-qualification only — there is no separate written / multiple-choice examination component for the TxDOT Steel Structures Welder credential. Process knowledge is verified through the AWS D1.5 visual and bend-test procedures.
Reciprocity
Welders holding current AWS D1.5 qualification from another state DOT or AASHTO-recognized testing laboratory may submit their qualification records to TxDOT for review; acceptance is at the discretion of the Bridge Division. Editor verification required before public launch on the specific cross-DOT acceptance pathway.
Validity and Renewal
The TxDOT certification remains in effect as long as the welder continues to perform acceptable work for TxDOT, as determined by the Bridge Division. There is no fixed annual or biennial renewal cycle published in Item 448. Loss of qualification (including extended absence from production welding under AWS D1.5 Section 5) requires retest at a TxDOT-recognized testing laboratory. TxDOT serves as the final authority in disputes with testing laboratories and reserves the right to audit labs that do not meet AWS and ASNT standards.
Alternative Path
Article 448.4.2.1 provides an alternative project-specific Miscellaneous Weld Qualification Test administered on the job site for welders without standing TxDOT certification, applicable only to limited-scope miscellaneous welding work.
Scope Limitations
The TxDOT Steel Structures Welder credential authorizes only the welding processes, positions, and joint configurations on which the welder qualified per AWS D1.5. It does not extend to AWS D1.1 (general structural), ASME Section IX (pressure piping / vessel), or AWS D1.6 (stainless) work without separate qualification.
Verified May 1, 2026 · compiled from public sources, verify current rules with Texas Department of Transportation — Bridge Division before acting